Road Trip
by charlixcx
Summary: Jade doesn't have anyone to take her to meet the cast of The Scissoring in San Francisco, so she asks Tori to tag along on the trip. Together, the two will face a set of obstacles along the way, all whilst the chemistry between one another grows into a bond like no other. *JORI*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Victorious**_ **.** _ **Victorious**_ **is the property of Nickelodeon, and is not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.**

 **A/N: Hey, so this is my second** _ **Victorious**_ **fanfiction, I guess. It is going to be Jori, if you haven't already guessed. Here's the first chapter.**

It was a warm-temperatured, spring day in California. Glowing orange sun poured through the pale-white, puffy clouds in the open, vast sky. The thick, humid air stuck around for weeks at a time in the Hollywood Hills. But, many did not mind the extreme weather, as they were used to it after the hefty amount of years of putting up with it. The busy students of Hollywood Arts, one of the best performing arts schools in California, hustled through the colourful hallways to their second period classes. Tori Vega sped to her locker, struggling to put her Drama History textbook away, preparing herself for her acting class with Mr. Sikowitz.

Sikowitz was Tori and her group of friends' favourite teacher. Most thought he was a little crazy, but they just did not appreciate him as fully as they should. Trying to remember what he said they would be working on in class the prior day, she stood in thought for a second. Giving up when she couldn't remember, she shoved her bag in her locker, turning with a jump in her step, shutting her locker door behind her. When it clicked shut, Tori started for her classroom. Her journey was interrupted when she heard Jade West, one of her 'friends', come storming down the hallway behind her.

"Hey, Vega!" Jade shouted, dashing to catch up with Tori. Tori stopped in her tracks, looking behind her to see who was calling her. _Great_ , she thought. Jade dressed herself in black, as usual, and her dark hair was curled, exposing the violet streaks of colour peaking through in some areas. She adjusted the strap of her _Gears of War_ laptop back on her shoulder, crossing her arms.

"What?" Tori asked, unimpressed. "I've got to get to Sikowitz's class. And, so do you." she pointed out, running a hand through her wavy, chocolate brown hair. She pushed her hair over her shoulder, fanning herself from the humidity in the air.

Jade smirked, flattening out the black tennis skirt hanging loosely on her hips. "Look, it's not often that I talk to you without gagging, so listen, okay?" she snarled, going into her bag. She pulled out a white flyer covered in information, handing it to Tori.

Tori sighed, taking the paper from Jade's hand. Jade's nails were coated with a deep, black nail polish and her fingers were decorated with an assortment of different rings. "What is this?" Tori inquired, reading the information on the flyer. "'A special screening of _The Scissoring_. May 15th, 7 PM. Meet and greet with the actors after the show.'" Tori read, looking up to see Jade's hopeful face. "I don't quite understand." she articulated.

Jade ripped the flyer from Tori's hands, pointing out the location of the event. She made sure to hold what she saw up close to Tori's face. "Look. It's in San Francisco, Tori." Jade announced, putting the flyer back into her bag.

"Congratulations?" Tori asked, not sure of how to respond. She shrugged and continued her walk to their acting class.

"No, Tori." Jade said, pulling on Tori's arm. Tori stopped once again, waiting for Jade's explanation. Jade exhaled, sharply, letting go of her grasp on Tori and crossing her arms, uncomfortably. She opened her mouth, but it took a few seconds for her to come up with the words she needed to find. "I...I need..." she looked to both sides of her. "I need your...help." she whispered, unenthusiastic.

All at once, Tori relaxed, then smiled, raising her eyebrows. "Ah, I see." she said, chuckling slightly. "And, why exactly do you need my help?" she asked, taking note of the fact that Jade was actually coming to her in need.

Jade's light eyes were piercing with rage. "Oh, don't flatter yourself. Look, I just need you to drive with me to San Francisco so I can meet the cast of The Scissoring. It's this weekend." Jade announced, not happy with the fact that she'd sunken so low she asked Tori for help. She looked up and down the hallways once again to make sure no one was overhearing her plans.

Tori pursed her lips, looking to Jade with resentment. "Jade," she began looking her in the eyes. She dropped a hand down at her side in defeat. "San Fran is, like, a 5 hour drive from here." Tori said, biting her cheek.

Jade shrugged. "I knew you'd say that. That's why on Friday, we'll leave right when school ends, at 2. We can get to San Francisco around 8, check into our hotel room, go see The Scissoring on Saturday, and then go home the next day. Is it really that much of hastle for you?" she explained, tugging on her black chain necklace.

Tori still seemed confused. "I guess that sounds good to me, but I still don't understand why you need me to come?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "My parents said I need to take someone with me because last time I went on a road trip alone, I got my license suspended for a week. Happy?"

"Really? What Happened?" Tori asked, smugly smiling in triumph.

"It's none of your business, Vega! Now, are you going to come or not?" Jade asked, growing impatient.

"Fine, but why me? Why not Cat? Or Andre? Or anyone other than me?" Tori inquired, feeling the fabric of her sleeves become damp with sweat.

Jade shook her head, as if Tori didn't already know. "Beck is my ex, I don't even want to remind you what happened last time Cat made me go on a road trip, Robbie's tiny bladder would make the car trip go by twice as slow, and I don't want to put Andre through this, I mean, he's not as annoying as the rest of you."

Tori considered all the awful things that Jade really could have needed Tori for instead of a road trip and nodded her head in affirmation. "Alright, fine," she agreed, beginning to speed to Sikowitz's class with Jade following her at her side. "I'll go. But, only because yesterday you actually got me a soda at The Grub Truck when I asked you to do so."

Jade's face lit up in pure elation. "Finally, Vega. You did something good for once in your life." Jade murmured, thinking for a second. They reached their classroom, when Jade began to laugh uncontrollably.

Tori became disoriented, once again, as they walked through the classroom and took their seats. Their class had not started yet, as Sikowitz was running late. "Am I missing something?" Tori questioned, taking her seat next to Andre.

"The only reason why I got you that drink yesterday was because I spit in it." Jade recalled, looking down at the ground, trying not to laugh out loud.

"Ugh, ohhh my, God, Jade!" Tori uttered, scraping her tongue with the palm of her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, I just wanted to say, thank you SO much for the reviews, follows, and favourites. You guys are incredible! I'm sorry for not being able to respond to the reviews, as they are kind of broken right now. I'll get back to everyone once the issue is resolved (hopefully soon). Thanks for staying with my story! :)**

The sinister Thursday evening before Jade and Tori departed for San Francisco felt hectic for both girls. Tori, slightly nervous, called Jade out of fear, asking her what she was going to wear during the drive. Jade had picked up the phone, shaking her head at Tori's innocence, and responded by saying Tori could "wait and see", whatever that meant. Tori anxiously packed and repacked her small denim backpack a number of times before she could organize it exactly to her liking. It was her favourite bag, she brought it all across the world with her. Even to Yerba, another trip her, Jade, and the rest of the gang took a trip to. On the other hand, Jade was euphoric to meet the cast of The Scissoring. She had loved the gory movie since she was ten, and finally, after almost seven years and hundreds of rewatches, Jade was going to live her biggest dream yet.

When the bell rang at 2 PM the next day, Tori's heart was racing with angst. She pushed through the crowded hallways to get to her locker, nearly being taken out by a pair of dancers, one tuba, and a visual art project. Tori pulled her faux leather bag out of the depository, filling her bag with doodled-on notebooks and crumpled papers. Tori spotted Jade by her own locker across the hall, putting books away before they left for the weekend. Tori, already nervous, tried her best to avoid the fears growing inside her that she felt. Tori didn't have to hurry, as she and Jade had already loaded Jade's car with their luggage before school had begun that morning.

Andre examined a lost in thought Tori for a few moments, before deciding to speak out. "Tori Vega," he called out, slinging his Hollywood Arts backpack over his shoulder. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, one that Tori swore she was going to get him for Christmas the prior year, but settled on a gift card to Inside Out Burger instead.

Tori took a step backward. "Huh?" she asked, breaking her train of thought when he approached her from around the corner. Tori patted her hair down, in fear that it was a mess.

Andre moved up to Tori's locker, looking her up and down, confused. "You look all panicky. Spill, Latina." he instructed, pulling a hand through his chestnut brown braids.

"Oooh," Tori groaned, leaning up against her locker, eying Jade from across the hall. She felt her forehead prickle with sweat. "You know what's wrong," she began, biting her lip. "I have to go to that stupid Scissoring screening with Jade this weekend." Tori complained, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

Andre sighed, feeling in the pocket of his jeans for his Pear Phone. "I thought you were excited to get away this weekend, from what I remember. Somethin' 'bout not hearing Trina be all like, 'Hey, Tori, I have a hot date and you don't?'" Andre explained, demonstrating his best set of jazz hands whilst quoting Tori.

Tori adjusted the sleeves of her shirt, watching as Andre grew further concerned for herself. "I was. Until last night. I don't know, Andre, I'm kind of buggin' about this whole thing." Tori wailed, still watching Jade.

Andre raised an eyebrow, trying to get a feel of what Tori was going through. "Are you scared of Jade or something? I mean, we're all scared of Jade, but, come on, she ain't really that bad." he comforted.

Tori sighed, kicking the locker slightly. She checked the time on her phone, rubbing away at the annoying crack on the back of her phone from when she dropped it in the toilet that one time. Or was it the second time? She couldn't remember. "No, I mean, I don't know. I guess I'm just so used to Jade arguing with me, it's kinda making me freak that she's being so nice. I mean, she picked me to go, over YOU." Tori pointed out, giving Andre a fearful look.

Andre scratched the top of his head, searching deep inside of him for the proper advice to give. "Look, Tori. I know you're scared, but," he looked discouraged with his own lack of support. "I gotta get going, like, now. Beck is waiting for me in the parking lot. We got ourselves a couple of, uh, North Ridge girls waiting at Nozu." he continued, rubbing his hands together in pleasure. "But, my advice to you is to just try and keep calm. It's just Jade, not the Ghostface you're going with, remember? You're going to have a great weekend with her, honest. And, if she tries to kill you, I'm still on speed dial, right?" Andre enthused, laughing, but bracing himself in fear of Tori hurting him for his teasing choice of words.

Tori playfully hit Andre on the arm, smiling. "Alright, I guess you're right." she approved, giving in. "Enjoy your North Ridge girls." she giggled, waving, as Andre walked towards the exit.

"They will be enjoyed!" he ranted, scurrying for the door.

And Tori felt alone again. She stood quiet for a second before approaching Jade. She contemplated running away, but then remembered she had all her stuff packed in Jade's car. _Darn. Next time_ , she thought. She gave in, sauntering in Jade's direction, stopping a few feet away from her.

"Hey, you ready?" Jade greeted, slamming her locker door shut. She wore a black T-shirt which read, 'The Scissoring' in red, capital letters. A pair of black skinny jeans hugged her thin, lanky legs, and she topped it all off with her cherry red Doc Martens combat boots. Today, she had turquoise blue streaks peaking through her dark hair. She leaned one hand against the wall, and another on her hip. People began to clear out of the school, as the hallways became distantly quieter.

Tori smiled, trying not to seem fearing of what stood ahead. "Yup." she responded, with a twinkle in her eye. "You booked the hotel reservations and everything, right?" she asked, double checking. They embarked for the front doors at the head of the main hallway.

"I'm not an idiot." Jade spat out, crossing her arms. Tori relaxed a little bit, hearing Jade's response. _Same old Jade_ , she thought, as they moved through the parking lot of the school to Jade's black car. _I have nothing to worry about_.

Jade unlocked her car, and Tori pulled open the surprisingly heavy door, seating herself in one of the dark leather seats. Her car had a faint scent of vanilla bean coffee, reminding Tori of Jade's addiction to coffee. Jade had a strange red stain on the dashboard, and Tori didn't even want to know what it was. Tori, reminded by the stain, craned her neck over her shoulder to the backseat to see if Jade had brought her shovel with her. Thankfully, she didn't, unless she was hiding it in her trunk. Tori hoped she wouldn't have to relive another driving to school incident.

Jade opened the door on the opposite side, seating herself in the drivers seat. She turned the key in the ignition, adjusting the mirror. They both buckled their seatbelts, listening to the chime sound as the engine started. Tori noticed a pair of toy scissors that must have been made for an American Girl doll were turned into a keychain and hung from the mirror, between the two of them. Tori reached into her bag for her Pear Phone, checking her feed on The Slap.

Jade pulled out of the parking lot of the school, onto the main road, trailing behind a blue car. The road was narrow, allowing Tori to safely unwind a little, as they reminded her of the roads near her house. "So, why were you talking to Andre before we left?" Jade asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Huh?!" Tori responded, dropping her phone onto the floor of the car in shock. _Smooth_ , she thought to herself, internally cringing.

Jade pursed her lips, fumbling with the radio until she settled on her favourite alternative rock station to play quietly. "I said, why were you talking to Andre before? Don't you listen?" she repeated, rubbing at her nose.

"Oh. Right..." Tori began, looking out the window at the plazas and stores they passed. "Andre," she repeated, tugging at a loose curl caught in her mouth. "He just came to ask me..." her voice trailed off, as she didn't want to tell Jade the truth. Tori looked around, when she saw they were passing the North Ridge high school. Tori smiled. North Ridge, she thought, thanking the universe for the reminder. "He just came to ask me if I was jealous that he had a hot date with some North Ridge girls." Tori responded, pristinely.

"North Ridge girls, huh?" Jade grumbled, taking a sip from the bottle of water in the cup holder. Tori wondered if this was the first time she saw Jade functioning on a liquid that wasn't coffee. "Wait," she paused, looking at Tori.

"What?"

"You said he has a date with a couple of North Ridge girls. Who else is he going with?" Jade questioned, stopping suddenly as a yellow light transitioned to a red light.

"Why does it matter?" Tori countered, looking down to the ground. _Great, this is great_ , Tori thought.

"You said he has a date with a couple of North Ridge girls and I want to know who else he's going with. It's not Robbie, _obviously_ , so who is it?" She rambled, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

Ah, that was the Jade Tori knew and loved. Hard-headed and stubborn. "Alright..." Tori responded, rubbing her eye. "Andre and..." she began, frustrated. "Beck...have a double date with some North Ridge girls." she confessed, slowly. But, it was no use approaching it with any ease. Tori swore she could see Jade turn from her natural, pale glow to an embarrassed, steamy red.

Jade, irritated, smiled. "North Ridge, _huh_?" Jade professed, stepping on the gas with a clunk of her boot. The light Jade had stopped at was still red, but Jade sped through it with full force. Nearly causing a total of five colisions at the intersection, Tori's stomach dropped as Jade continued to floor it. Tori dug her nails into the leather of her seat, feeling the car speed up faster by the milisecond, wondering frivolously, if the weekend could go by any slower.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter is kind of short. I promise, better things are coming for this story. I have had to put a lot of my focus into a** _ **Macbeth**_ **essay for my English class recently and have been studying a lot more than usual for Math. I really hope you like this one; the idea kind of came to me all of a sudden. Thank you again for your support!**

"Jade!" Tori exclaimed in terror, trying to calm down her racing heart. Tori, perplexed by how Jade was not processing the speed she was driving at as dangerous, observed Jade and her maniacal driving in the passenger seat. She wondered if this was the reason why her license got suspended. "Slow down!" she shouted again, bracing herself. She watched as the cars and buildings surrounding the road that were once sharp and defined become a blur in the extreme speeds of the moving vehicle.

Jade, empowered with rage, gave in, slowing the car down. She put a heavy foot on the break of the car, and Tori felt an instant wave of relief wash over her. Jade snickered at the entire condition of their situation. "What, you don't like a little risk taking?" Jade taunted, fingering the gear clutch with her lanky hand. She swerved into the lane to the right of the car, cutting a Toyota off. The driver of the Toyota stuck up a finger that Tori couldn't quite make out from her place in the car, but she could guess what it symbolized from their circumstances.

Tori felt a knot form in her tight stomach. "I take...risks," she justified, leaning her arm on the hard rest of the door. A swift thought popped into her head. "Just last week, Trina asked me to shave her back hairs. Guess what? I did!" she bragged, obviously not winning Jade over with her argument.

Jade made a repulsed sound and frowned in disgust, taking a sharp turn at a set of lights. "You're kidding, right?" Jade inquired. She took another quick sip from the drink next to her. "You actually think doing...that...for your freakshow of a sister counts as risk taking?" Jade shivered at the thought of a delicate Tori seating herself on the red velvet couch of the Vega Household with a pink shaver in one hand and shaving cream in the other, about to barber the bristly hairs of Trina's back.

Tori lowered her eyebrows, searching her mind for all the reasons as to why it would not be considered 'risk taking'. "Why wouldn't it be?" she questioned. Tori's eyes relapsed to examining the mysterious red stain on the dashboard of Jade's car. She took a mental note to ask her what it was later. Tori noticed Jade switch gears and the car begin to come to a leisurely speed.

Jade smiled smugly, easily pulling the once speeding car over on the shoulder of the main road. It took a solid stop in front of an outdoor mall overlooking the oncoming traffic. Tori recalled going there once with her family. Trina had ended up eating something she was allergic to at the food court and they later ended up in the emergency room for three hours.

"Alright, Vega," Jade announced, unbuckling her seatbelt. "If you're such a risk taker, I dare you to flash the traffic. Nothing fancy. Just that bra of yours."

Tori's jaw dropped in repugnance and she shielded her breasts in the grasp of her hands. Tori flared her nostrils as she thought of doing it. "There is no way I am doing that. You're a psychopath." Tori responded, firming her grip on the seat.

Jade shrugged, pushing her dark curls over her shoulder. "Fine," she answered, turning the key back in the ignition. The chime of the car sounded again as the engine started. "I guess you aren't really a risk taker, are you?" she finished. As Jade pulled her seatbelt back over herself, Tori's mind began to haunt her; telling her she should do it and she would never prove herself to Jade if she did not. _What could be the worst that could happen?_ She thought. When _was_ the last time she did something on impulse?

"Wait!" Tori held out a hand to stop Jade from moving back onto the main road, closing her eyes. "I'll do it." she declared.

" _Really?_ "Jade asked, shocked. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. "Huh." She really was surprised.

"You'll see, Jade. You'll see." Tori scoffed, unbuckling her seatbelt. She opened the door, stepping out of the car. She flattened out the wrinkles on her shirt.

"Don't forget to look both ways before you cross!" Jade taunted, cocking her pierced eyebrow.

Tori looked back at her and made a face. Jade returned it. Tori crossed the street clumsily, swerving between cars, finally making it safely to the other side. A hefty amount of cars speeded by her every second and she felt herself quiver in agitation. She began to fumble with the buttons on the front of her plaid shirt. She felt relieved to remove it, as she was sticky with sweat.

Tori watched as Jade gawked at her from across the street. Tori shot Jade a snide grin and Jade returned it back to her, once again. Tori gulped, feeling her hand tremble. She finally went through with it, lifting the tank top beneath the plaid shirt up, exposing the bare skin underneath. She held it up for three seconds, hearing exasperated honking and whistles from people, both men and women, coming from cars that passed.

Tori pulled it back down instantly as the three seconds terminated. She made her way back across the street, sheepishly. She entered the car once again. When she sat herself back in her seat, she reluctantly craned her neck to see Jade's initial reaction. "So?" she questioned.

Jade could not do anything but applaud the brunette. She shook her head, chuckling. "I can't believe you _actually_ did it, Vega." Jade remarked. "Nothing bad even happened to you while you were doing it!"

Tori tilted her head, slightly grinning. "Thanks, I guess?" she giggled, unsure of whether Jade was being sincere or not.

Jade started the car once again, shifting back into the traffic. "Maybe you are a risk taker." Jade remarked, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

Tori was not sure why, but she found herself blushing.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm not American, so forgive me when it comes to American geography throughout the story. This chapter is kind of boring, but it connects everything together. Don't forget to rate and review! :)**

Tori and Jade were about an hour and a half into their voyage, when the beams of sunshine radiating along the bleak roads began to fade into sombre darkness due to an overwhelming amount of clouds forming in the sky.

Tori bit her lip. "I think it's going to pour." she pointed out, looking up at the sky from her place at the passenger window.

Jade tilted her head. "Thank you, Catherine Obvious." she retorted, tightening her grip on the steering wheel.

Tori frowned, sliding down in her seat. To their expectation, the rain began to fall from the sky in a quick jolt, one drop by one. Jade drove smoothly on the freeway, accompanied by many other cars and transport trucks. Tori grew nervous for themselves from Jade's track record so far. They drove in uncomfortable silence for a collection of minutes. Tori, restless for something to pass the time, pulled out her Pear Phone from her pocket, opening up her screen.

As the sharp rain continuously poured down on their car, Tori scrolled through her feed on The Slap once again. Cat posted a picture of her and her brother eating cotton candy 15 minutes ago. Tori continued to scroll. Andre tweeted, _If any of you see a North Ridge girl with my wallet, stop her!_ , half an hour ago. _I guess Andre and Beck's double date was a bust_ , she thought.

Tori continued to scroll past practical Tweets and pictures from other people she followed, until she came across a post from Rex. He had retweeted a picture someone had posted an hour prior. Tori tapped on the image, enlarging it to her viewing pleasure. There, stood a digital image of Tori on the side of the road, holding her shirt up, exposing her flat stomach and Victoria Secret bra.

 _Oh, my God..._ she thought, running a shaky hand through her hair.

Tori's heart dropped into her stomach. She trembled with fear, looking to see how many people had noticed the Tweet. It had 146 retweets and 292 likes. Rex was one among the bunch. Tori clicked the profile of the person who posted the picture. To her surprise, it was Burf, Sinjin's best friend, who posted the picture. The caption read, _I was on my way to the library when I saw Tori Vega flashing traffic! I can't believe I took a picture of a real girl!_

Tori shook her head, exiting out of the application immediately. She opened her mouth, ready to confide in Jade for advice.

"Jade..." Tori gulped, shutting her eyes.

Jade groaned, massaging the right temple of her head. "What now?"

"I might have a...little...problem." she reported, pulling open the picture of herself once again.

"What? What did you screw up, now?" Jade snapped. She shook her head. "I knew we couldn't get to San Francisco without you doing something stupid."

"Hey!" Tori spoke, crossing her arms. "You didn't even know what I was going to say."

Jade smirked. "Well, I think I can make a pretty good prediction if most of the things you say are stupid, anyway."

Tori grew angrier with Jade. Was it not a few moments before that they were finally bonding without bickering? "Hey, _priss_ , you're the one who invited me on this trip! Remember?"

"Shut up, Tori." Jade said, flat out. She flicked the windshield wiper switch on, watching as the wipers moved back and forth on the window covered in droplets of rain.

Tori huffed, crossing her legs. She did not bother to fight back with Jade. After a few seconds passed, Tori decided to try and break the news to Jade again.

"Jade..." Tori tried.

Jade frowned. "What?" she fumed.

"Someone took a picture of me." Tori mumbled, vaguely.

"A picture?" Jade questioned. "What kind of picture?"

Tori bit her lip, fidgeting with the jelly bracelet on her wrist. "A bad picture." she responded, her voice cracking.

"What do you mean 'a bad picture'?" Jade asked, slowly.

Tori unlocked her phone, once again, holding up the image of herself on The Slap for Jade to see. Jade's eyes darted to the glowing cell phone screen, widening when she saw the image.

" _Oh_." Jade stated, looking back to the road. She did not say a word.

"Well?" Tori asked. "What am I supposed to do now?" she slid the phone back into her tight pocket.

Jade shook her head. "Only you can screw up this bad, Vega." Jade teased, feeling the exterior coat of black nail polish on her thumb nail. "I just find it hillarious that Burf, of all people, was capable of something this hillarious!"

"It's not funny!" Tori protested, crossing her arms. She looked out the window at the speeding cars passing them by. The rain was not going to give out anytime soon. "My parents are going to kill me if they see that!" she whined, dropping her hands down to her thighs.

"And knowing Trina, they probably already have!" Jade chimed in, enthusiastically.

"Stop." Tori warned, looking distressed.

"Come on. I'm just trying to make light of a situation that you royally screwed up." Jade exclaimed, laughing to herself. "Think of it this way: you won't have to deal with your family until Sunday."

Tori exhaled sharply. "I guess you're right. But that picture needs to come down." she agreed, watching as the heavy rain begin to come down in thicker sheets.

"Why don't you, like, I don't know, text Burf to take it down?!" Jade grumbled.

Tori sneered. "I would, but I don't have Burf's number now that I had to get a new Pear Phone GX." she explained, pointing to her bright blue cell phone. Any one of her friends could remember the agrivating story behind her contemporary cell phone.

"Ugh, don't remind me of that." Jade groaned, searching the compartment next to her seat for her red Pear Phone. "Here. Just text him from my phone." Jade insisted, holding out her phone for Tori.

" _You_ have Burf's cell phone number?" Tori asked, taking the phone from Jade's hand.

"I'm not proud of it. We had to work on a project together for Script Writing class and I guess I forgot to delete it until now." Jade explained, raising her eyebrows.

Tori nodded slightly, pulling up Burf's contact information. "Is there any certain way I should approach this?" Tori asked, showing Jade the 'New Message' screen.

Jade licked her dry lips. "I don't know. Just say something like, 'Why, hello Burf, it's me, Tori Vega, delete the picture of me and we can share a soda pop!'" Jade proclaimed in her classic Tori Vega impersonation voice.

"I don't talk like that." Tori retorted.

"Whatever. Just text him." Jade responded, stretching her arms, then yawning.

"Um..." Tori bit her lip. "How about, _Hey, Burf! It's Tori. Can you please take down that pic of me from The Slap? Thanks!_ " Tori read aloud as she typed.

Jade rolled her eyes. "You're pathetic." she announced. She plucked her cell phone back from Tori's hand, keeping one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on her cell phone. She began to erase Tori's message, then typed her own, glancing back up at the road from time to time.

"Jade, keep your eyes on the road. Do you ever think to yourself, 'Hey, maybe this is the reason why my parents won't let me drive anywhere alone anymore.'?" Tori scolded, rhetorically.

"Calm down, Vega. I wouldn't be doing this in the first place if you couldn't just be a little more aggressive for once." Jade rebuked. "And, send!"

Tori took the phone back from Jade's hand and read the message out loud. " _Hey, Burf! It's Tori, AKA, your worst nightmare. You better delete that picture off The Slap or Jade is going to be the reason why you'll be screaming in your sleep from now until your thirty. Love you!_ " Tori glared at Jade. "Really?"

"What?" Jade asked, shrugging her shoulders. "I thought it was pretty good."

"I think it's pretty _threatening_ and _illegal_!" Tori countered. "He won't delete the picture for sure."

"Really?" Jade sneered. "Do me a favour, Tori. Check The Slap to see if your picture is gone."

Tori disregarded any other argument, shrugged, and checked The Slap for her picture. To her amazement, it was gone.

"Jade...it's-it's gone!" She rejoiced, showing Jade the screen.

"And you didn't believe me." Jade beamed, turning the car from the freeway onto another main road. They were a quarter of the way through Santa Barbara. Jade carefully drove the car through the pouring rain. "Burf is probably crying in his mother's arms as we speak."

"How do you do it? We barely texted him a minute ago." Tori asked in pure astonishment. She had to admit, she was pretty amazed. But, more so relieved. She prayed Trina did not see the picture before it was deleted.

Jade laughed at Tori's innocence, switching lanes. In that moment, elation was the only emotion that could be felt between each other. Tori thought it was incredible that the two could go from the state they were in fifteen minutes prior, to Jade saving her from an alarming situation. _Maybe that will be our friendship forever_ , Tori thought, looking to Jade. _Maybe it is just meant to be rocky._

When Tori thought their trip would be crystal clear from that point on, the engine of Jade's car began to sputter. The growl of the engine frightened Tori. "Um. Jade. Why is your car making that noise?" she asked, timidly. She looked to Jade and they exchanged glances.

"If I knew why it was making that noise, don't you think I would get it to stop?!" Jade stammered, trying to get the car to keep moving at a steady pace.

Tori and Jade felt the car begin to come to an involuntary hault. Jade put the best of her ability into pulling the car over onto the side of the main road they had just pulled onto. The car eventually came to a full stop, and Jade could not do anything to get it to start.

"I have a full tank of gas, why would the car just stop?" Jade questioned, unbuckling her seatbelt. She listened as the rain began to hit the car firmly as it was no longer in motion.

"Jade?" Tori asked.

"Yeah." Jade answered. She licked her lip.

"When was the last time you changed the oil in your car?" Tori inquired, craning her neck in Jade's direction.

"I don't know." Jade responded. "You're supposed to change the oil?"

"Oh, my God." Tori groaned, sinking down in her seat.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm so sorry for my sudden disappearance and abandonment of this story. The last time I updated was before summer break, where I also took a short break from my admiration of Victorious. Do not get me wrong-writing is my passion, and I still love Jade. But, I just began to flourish my writing pieces in different ways and mediums over the course of June, July, and August. I spoke to my previous English teacher from my prior semester a few days ago and they were very insightful and actually inspired me to keep writing this story when we spoke; so if I have anyone to thank for getting me out of my neglection of updating Road Trip, it's them. Hopefully, I'll slowly be able to update this story more and more.**

"What are we supposed to do now?!" Tori cried, looking to Jade, only to view her expression just as worried as her own. The pitter-patter of the forceful rain on the windshield did not relieve Tori and Jade of the tension both girls were experiencing in any way.

Jade turned her head, watching the other vehicles on the road pass her small black car at their place on the edge of the road. "How am I supposed to know? I'm not a mechanic!" Jade stammered, leaning her chin on her hand.

A thought sparked in Tori's mind. "Good idea." she affirmed, pulling out her Pear Phone. "We'll just call a mechanic. They'll fix your car up. We should only be delayed by an hour." Tori explained, beginning to feel herself relax. _Who knew I would be the one to come to the reasonable solutions_ , she thought.

Tori opened the web browser application on her Pear Phone, searching for a local mechanic. One was actually remotely close to their isolated spot on the road. Tori dialled the number, inspecting the fingernails on her free hand.

"Jeff's Auto-Repair. How may I help you?" A husky voice with a southern accent greeted on the other line.

"Oh, hi..." Tori addressed, looking to Jade with hope in her eyes. Jade gave Tori a thumbs up, squinting her eyes, as if she did not care. Tori knew she did. "I, um, I am...kind of stuck. On the road. And I think we might need a boost, or some kind of repair of some sort?"

"Where ar'ya abouts?" The man asked, his accent coating each word individually.

"Um," Tori covered the speaker on her phone. "What street is this?" she asked in a slight whisper.

"I don't know. Hollister Avenue?" Jade responded, coldly.

"Uh, Hollister Avenue." She answered, hope in her voice.

"Alright ma'am," the man began. "Just hold on up, our services will be with you within the next ten to fifteen minutes." he concluded.

Tori beamed. "Thank you so much!" she hailed, eyes trailing to the rain, hoping it would not slow down the auto repair company from arriving. She ended the call, slipping her Pear Phone back into her pocket.

"So, any idea who's paying for this?" Jade interrogated, crossing her arms.

Tori rolled her eyes. "Jade, it's your car!" she fumed. "You're the one who didn't bother to change the oi-you know? Why do I bother? You probably already tuned me out. How did you even forget about changing the oil?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know, Vega." Jade spat out. "Why did Trina forget she's allergic to herbs? Why did her tongue swell up at the showcase? Why was that the cause and effect of having you plague my life at Hollywood Arts?" she barked, putting her head in her hands.

"You need a Midol." Tori huffed, shaking her head.

"Fine. I'll pay three quarters of it. You can pay the rest." Jade muttered, under her breath. She craned her neck to the left, looking out the window splattered in rain drops, not speaking a word.

Fifteen minutes passed, when Tori and Jade eagerly looked out their windshield to see a man pull up in a fire-red tow truck on the side of the road where their car was parked.

"Thank you, God." Tori said aloud, praising the services for coming as fast as they said they would. She could not stand another tension-filled moment in the humid car with Jade.

Tori began to unbuckle her seatbelt, opening the car door, making her way outside to greet the man in the heavy rain. "Hi..." she greeted, trying to bring her soft voice above the irritable loudness of the rain.

"Ar'ya Miss Vega?" the man inquired, using the umbrella in his hand to block Tori and himself from the rain. He adjusted his belt, pulling it upward.

"Yeah, my friend, Jade West, is in the car; she's actually the owner of the vehicle." Tori explained, trying to notion him to coming into the dry car, where she began to envy Jade's shelter.

"Alright." he said, huffing. "I just needa get my papers out of the truck for Miss West to sign, y'all okay if this takes about a half an hour? Nothing much but a little engine tweaks and we'll get y'ladies up and runnin' very soon."

Tori's eyes twinkled. "Sounds okay to me. I'm going to go wait with Jade." Tori moved back into the car, where she found herself shivering, even after the humidity of the car began to set in.

"Cold or something, Vega?" Jade asked, rhetorically.

"No kidding." Tori blatantly responded, moving her wet hair off of her back.

Jade rolled her eyes, leaning into her Gears of War shoulder bag she had kept in the backseat of the car for her oversized, checkered flannel sweater. She threw it onto Tori's lap. "Doubt you brought one in hopes the weekend would be warm and rain-free."

Tori felt the warm cotton on her cold finger tips, looking at Jade, dumbfounded. "You're actually letting me, Tori, wear _your_ flannel?"

Jade pursed her lips, lowering her eyebrows. "You're welcome!" she proclaimed, sharply. And Tori knew she meant it. Jade did not do much for anyone, and the simple sacrifice of her favourite flannel was pretty humble.

Jade began to sign the papers, handing over her driver's licensing and insurance to the man they assumed was Jeff, of Jeff's Auto-Repair.

A few moments passed, and Jade found herself finished with the papers. Jeff slowly returned to the slightly ajar door of Tori's passenger seat. "Um, Miss...West?" he asked, puzzled.

"What? What now?" Jade growled, throwing the ballpoint pen down by her side.

Jeff tilted his head. "Is this _really_ your sick attempt at trying to pass off a fake driver's lisence?" he accused, holding up the plastic card in his hand.

"Fake?" Tori asked, distraught. She looked to Jade who had slowly began to close her guilt infused eyes. "What do you mean 'fake'?"

Jade took a moment to collect herself before she answered. "I may or may not have accidentally mixed up my fake lisence and my real drivers lisence before I left for school this morning." she gulped, gripping the handle of the driver's seat.

"What?!" Tori yelped. "Why the hell do you have a fake license in the first place?!" she cried, running a shaky hand through her damp hair.

Jade exhaled, then began to explain her actions. "When I was 15, Beck and I used to go to this really cool club near Hollywood Arts every Friday and obviously, you had to be 21 to actually get some liquor, or get in at all. So, I asked Trina about that guy she knew from Fresno who specializes in fake identification. Long story short, I'm old enough for a real license now and me and Beck haven't been there in a year." she said, in a rush.

Tori shook her head, still confused. "That still doesn't explain why you brought your fake one?" she interrogated, feeling in her pocket for her phone.

Jade made a face, then looked to Jeff standing outside in the rain, holding up his umbrella. "I'm always afraid if I throw it out, my mother will find it. So, yeah. I guess...I brought the wrong one. Somehow." Jade widened her eyes, falling back in her seat in defeat.

Jeff broke the silence between the three of them, after the sounds of hard rain hitting the exterior of the car could only be heard. "Well, m'ladies, thanks for that cute explanation, but I'm gonna have to tow y'all back to the shop until we get this sorted out for now." Jeff instructed, opening Tori's door as a signal for them to get out.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Tori and Jade arrived to Jeff's Auto-Repair. A musty scent entered Tori's nostrils when she walked into the small office area where a blonde female receptionist sat. The pea green wallpaper was peeling at the corners of the wall, and the furniture choice for the waiting room identified heavily with 1982. To top it all off, the neon sign that read Jeff's Auto-Repair out front not only had the letters 'E', 'A', and 'O' burned out, but the framed logo over the sofa in the waiting room had cracked glass. _Classy,_ Tori thought.

"You ladies can call whoever you need to bring you some proper identification. But until then, I cannot legally release your car to either of ya." Jeff stated, collapsing backwards into the sofa.

"Tanya, can y'fetch me a beer? It's been a long one." Jeff asked, referring to his day. Tori and Jade exchanged glances.

"Yes, sir." the blonde receptionist answered, running to the back of the building to get the drink.

"Okay..." Tori edged, looking to Jade. "I guess I'll call Be-"

"No!" Jade exclaimed, cutting the brunette off. "I will not stand here while you call my ex-boyfriend in need."

Tori smirked. "Okay, Jade, as much as I want to play this game, I literally, for every fiber of my being, can NOT right now." she begged. "We need to call someone, and our best bet is calling Beck."

Jade crossed her arms. "What about Andre? Or Cat?" she nervously chipped away at the midnight black nail polish on her finger tips.

"Andre has no money. The Northridge girls stole his wallet. And Cat? Really? Do I even have to elaborate?" Tori questioned, giving Jade a perplexed look.

Jade stomped her boot against the dirt filled, tiled floor, and sat down on one of the chairs against the wall in an aggressive manner. She looked to Jeff, who began to gulp down the beer Tanya had gotten him. "Fine. Call Beck. I don't care." Jade finally affirmed, putting her head in her hands.

Tori nodded, reaching into her pocket to dial Beck. She put her Pear Phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Beck greeted from the other line.

"Beck. Hi." Tori said, altogether.

"Tori? What's up? Aren't you and Jade voyaging away?" Beck asked.

Tori bit her lip, looking to Jade who still remained with her face in her pale hands. "Yeah...about that. Here's the thing. Jade and I had a little run in, and we need you to bring us her license. It's in her room; I guess you can just ask her mom to give it to you or something."

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Slow down. Tori...I don't know. How far away are you guys?" Beck responded.

"Two hours? We're near Hollister Avenue." Tori answered.

"Tori, I'd love to help you guys, but the only time I'm available is tomorrow morning. My cousin is coming in from Canada tonight and I need to pick him up at LAX." Beck explained.

Tori felt a pain in her head begin to embark. "Tomorrow morning?" Jade looked to Tori in immediate displeasure.

"Don't worry. I'll leave the house around 6, and I'll get it to you guys by 8. It'll be fine." Beck insisted.

Tori rubbed her eye with her free hand. "Fine. I guess we'll find a hotel until tomorrow morning. Thank you so much." she agreed, giving in. Tori ended the call, slipping the metalic phone back into her pocket.

"Alrighty!" Tori declared. "Jade, I guess we'll be getting a hotel for the night and finishing our drive tomorrow morning. Jeff, we'll be back tomorrow for the car with the license."

Jade, defeated, ran a hand through her jet black locks. "Let's get out of here, Vega." she said, pulling herself up from the seat.

"Jade, come on. Don't be such a Negative Nancy. Tomorrow we'll leave as soon as Beck gives us the license-you already filled out the insurance and stuff, so everything is covered. We can find a cheap motel tonight and grab something to eat on our way out tomorrow. The Scissoring doesn't start until tomorrow evening, anyway." Tori tried, somewhat cheering Jade up. She gave her a light pat on the back.

"Whatever." Jade huffed. She pushed open the heavy door, not bothering to say goodbye to Jeff or Tanya.

Tori smiled awkwardly. "Well, bye? I guess we'll see you again tomorrow morning."

Jeff nodded, taking another long sip of his beer. Tanya remained hunched over her old computer, like she was working as if her life depended on it.

"Okay." Tori mumbled, wincing slightly. She pushed open the door, following Jade out into the still pouring rain.

"Jade!" Tori called out after her, watching as the undetectable sunlight hid behind the dark rain clouds.

Jade stopped, turning around. "Where are we supposed to go?" she fumed, meeting Tori's eyes. Tori could tell Jade was in a state of panic.

"There," Tori began, pointing to a shafty motel across the street from the auto repair shop. "We can rent a room there and get dinner somewhere or order in."

"This wasn't the plan." Jade commented, dryly.

"I know it wasn't the plan, but that's the fun in a road trip, right? It's all about the experience." Tori justified, following Jade as she continued walking.

The cars sped by the two girls on the busy road before them, as they tried to find a crosswalk to get to the other side where the motel stood. They eventually made it across the street, where they entered the Buttonwillow Motel. The motel did not appear different from the hotel; it had the same retro furnishings and had a musty tone to it. The girls approached the old woman at the desk, who sat smoking a cigarette delicately.

"Um...hi!" Tori hailed, waving to the woman.

The woman, whose name tag faintly read 'Stevie', stiffly tapped the ashes from the cigarette into the tray, then looked up. "...Hi." she grumbled.

"Can we get a room?" Jade asked, impatiently.

"Yeah." she muttered. "It'll be 68.75 for the night." Stevie answered, getting up from her seat to acquire Jade and Tori the room key.

"68.75?" Tori restated, in shock. "That's incredible. I had high hopes for at least a hundred dollars." she chirped, nudging Jade to signify what a great price it was.

"Touch me again and you won't have an elbow." Jade hissed, pulling out 35 dollars from her wallet. "Cover the rest, Vega."

Tori nodded, paying her share for the room, and the two girls strolled down the lengthy corridor, making it to their room after the long, tedious evening.

"232," Jade read from the chain on the key. She unlocked the door and Tori flicked the light on.

"Okay, so I guess we'll go back for our luggage in the car after we find a place to ea-" Tori remarked, looking down at the floor, focused on closing the door behind them, when Jade cut her off.

"Tori," Jade began. "There's only one bed."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This chapter is basically fluff/the official development of Jori in the story. I won't spoil too much; you'll find out what happens once you read :0. As well, thank you guys so,** _ **so**_ **much for reviewing and favouriting the story even after I was absent. I am really, really appreciative of what you have to say, and read every review, even if it's negative; any feedback is good feedback! Make sure to favourite/follow/review if you liked it so I know I should keep updating. :)**

Tori turned to Jade, cowering. "What's wrong with one bed?" Tori asked, defensively.

"That means that I have to share it with you, Vega." Jade murmured, leaning against the beige striped wallpaper. She worried if she leaned too hard against the wall, the frivoulousness of the weak wood beneath the wall coverings might make her cave it in. _Whatever_ , she concluded. Her tense back needed the break.

Tori raised a furrowed eyebrow. "What's so bad about sharing it with me?" she questioned, putting her hands on her hips. She felt the softness of Jade's flannel on her fingertips, remembering she still wore Jade's clothing sacrifice.

Jade started for the interior of the room, spacing herself from Tori, and seating herself in a hard desk chair that had a thick layer of dust forming overtop of the seat. She dropped her bag by her side, crossing her arms. Jade thought that the room was...okay. The wallpaper wasn't peeling, which was a good sign, and aside from the single, twin bed and the colonizing dust armies on each piece of furnishing, it was passable.

Tori followed Jade to her spot at the desk, reaching for the ancient, boxy television's remote. Topping the 1982 ensemble of decor which seemed to be a favored trend in the neighborhood, the television had not been updated since at least the early 90's, as well, which meant no Netflix nor Pay Per View. "Jade, neither one of us are going to sleep on a floor. Especially that," Tori pointed to the stained carpeting beneath their feet, making a face. "That floor."

Jade, irritated, propped herself up from the chair, and looked down at Tori who sat at the edge of the bed. "Alright. Fine. Whatever. You win again. We'll...sleep...in the same bed." she uttered, looking down at the strange stains in the floor. _Was that...blood?_ Jade thought, silently. It reminded her of the blood red paint stain on the dashboard of her car.

Tori flipped through the channels and gave up once she realized that she was getting nowhere when every station except the local news had a static visual, rather than actual programming. "Should we get our luggage and find a place to eat?" Tori asked, switching off the TV and flopping backwards onto the lumpy bed. She turned her neck to the small window and watched the cars on the road speed through the sheets of rain. The dark sky did not look like it was going to give in to the warm sun trying to shine through anytime soon.

"I guess." Jade responded, flatly. "Where do you want to go?"

"We can ask Stevie for some good places." Tori insisted.

"Stevie?" Jade repeated, curling her upper lip.

"Why not? She has a job here for a reason." Tori justified.

"Alright." Jade agreed, giving in.

The girls exited their room in a hurry, walking down the hall to the reception. Jade noticed the hotel was actually sufficiently grimy in the halls as well as in the rooms, but just brushed it off as "the experience" as Tori said.

"Stevie, my girl!" Tori shouted, a few feet away from the desk.

"Oh, my God." Jade remarked, falling a few steps behind Tori in humiliation. _God, why is Tori always so...outgoing? It's not even cute. It's just...ugh._ Jade pondered, watching as the brunette began to make small talk with Stevie, who clearly seemed disinterested in returning it. _Tori's not even cute. Period._ Jade reaffirmed in her head. Why did that statement even need any sort of reaffirmation? It's not like she had a crush or something on Tori. Jade caught herself off guard, when she began to worry. Did she find herself growing attracted to the brunette? Jade gawked as Tori twirled her hair on her index finger and regardless of the dim, motel lighting, her eyes still had that signature Tori Vega sparkle. Tori was still dressed in Jade's oversized flannel, which fell to the middle of her thighs. Why did Tori have to look so...loveable and innocuous in it? It was just a piece of clothing. Jade bit her lip, then made her way toward Tori at the desk.

"You ready?" Tori appealed, holding out her hand to grab Jade by the arm. It was amusing how Tori still tried to acquire Jade's affection, even though Jade had refused it multiple times on end. Jade gave in, letting Tori pull her by her side. Suddenly, she found herself almost...smiling, which she happened to do very little of around people.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm ready." Jade finally answered, walking by Tori's side.

"Stevie suggested some weird restaurants, but I think we should go to the 24 hour diner which is only a five minute walk. If we head back to the auto-repair shop for a minute, I can get my umbrella out of the car." Tori explained, pulling up Jade's flannel over her messy, wavy hair. _As if it wasn't already a frizzy mess from the rain_ , Jade thought.

They made it to the auto-repair shop and retrieved the umbrella, making their way to the diner. Jade began to feel like the five minute walk became a five hour walk as the straining thoughts from a few moments prior began to haunt her.

"Why are you being so quiet, _priss_?" Tori asked, jokingly. She squinted for a few moments, and could eventually see the glow of the diner sign across the street from their spot. _If only I brought my reading glasses_ , Tori regretted.

"Um..." Jade stammered. "I don't know. I guess I'm just so shocked that I might actually be having a good time with _you_." she countered, sharply.

"Well, I'm glad you chose me to have a good time with." Tori said, straight out, making Jade chuckle slightly. The girls successfully crossed the street, and walked in silence for the remainder of their walk, where only the clunk of Jade's combat boots against the cement and the continual thoughts plaguing her mind could be identified by Jade.

* * *

"Ugh, that food was so greasy." Tori groaned, pushing the door of the hotel room open.

"You ordered a chicken salad. How did you even get the full, grease experience?" Jade retorted, laughingly, closing the door behind her and switching on the lights. It was now 8:30 PM, and Tori made her way to the window to shut the blinds. The rain still did not give in.

"All I had was poutine and I can honestly say I have never felt more sluggish in my life after eating that." Jade explained, flopping face down on the single bed. She kicked off her combat boots, turning over on her side.

Tori smirked. "I thought you love feeling disgusting. I thought you love anything disgusting." she remarked, joining Jade on the bed with the television remote.

"I like feeling the good type of disgusting. That was the bad kind." Jade grumbled, watching as Tori turned the TV onto the news.

Tori watched as Jade tried to concentrate on the flickering images of the news channel. A weather report came on, and Tori was barely able to comprehend the words, as she was too infatuated by Jade. Her bony finger pulled at a strand of coloured hair that lost it's curl, and she began to twirl it around her finger. _Why was everything so perfect about Jade?_ Tori thought, looking down to her white socks. Jade's were black, of course. Everything about Jade was perfected-her elongated, full eyelashes, her light, crystal eyes, her soft, shiny locks-everything made Tori feel suddenly...weak.

"Hey, Jade?" Tori finally said, meeting Jade's eyes.

"Hmm?" she responded, looking away from the television.

"Would it be okay if we started getting ready for bed? I'm exhausted." Tori offered, moving to her suitcase next to Jade's Gears of War bag.

Jade slightly nodded her head, wondering why Tori began acting so strange and out of place.

"You alright, Vega?" Jade pondered, rolling off the bed and following Tori to her own bag.

"Me?" Tori exclaimed. "Yeah, of course!" she tried, nervously.

Tori pulled out her bag of toiletries and pyjamas, making her way to the bathroom. "I'll be fast." she stated, quickly shutting the bathroom door.

Jade shrugged, pulling out her ensemble of sleepwear.

Tori sprawled up against the white bathroom door, gazing at her worried reflection in the mirror. She took a deep breath, then walked up to the counter.

 _Alright_ , she thought. _As far as I know, Jade and I see each other as friends with serious, serious problems._

She bit her lip.

 _So, why does that mean I can't...like her? It's not like her 'awful' personality is actually rooted into her conscience. It's just Jade being Jade._

Tori slowly began to unpack her toothbrush, soaking it with water from the sink. Tori suddenly looked up at her now pale facial expression, with endless thoughts racing through her head. _Am I developing feelings for Jade?_

* * *

Outside the bathroom door was a different story. Jade slowly undressed herself, slipping into just a simple black bra and pyjama shorts. Her feet were bare, as she paced on the cold, wooden floor, examining her black polished toenails. _Oh, God._ She thought. _I'm going to have to share the bed. With Tori._ She heard the flush of the toilet inside the bathroom from behind the door, then quickly sat herself on the bed, pretending to be busy on her Pear Phone.

The bathroom door handle twisted open, and out came Tori, holding her bag of toiletries in one hand, and wrinkled clothes in the other. Jade looked up to find Tori was dressed in checkered pyjama pants and a tight tank top. Her wavy hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she began to make her way over to Jade.

"You only sleep in a bra?" Tori questioned, putting her clothes and toiletries back into her bag. She still held Jade's oversized flannel in her arms.

"And shorts." Jade corrected, leaning back against the pillows.

 _This is going to be hell._ Tori thought, moving up to the bed where she sat herself next to Jade. She checked the time on her cell phone. The glowing screen read 9:02. Tori usually did not find herself asleep at least until 10 PM.

"I'm tired." Tori lied, dropping her phone onto the wooden side table.

"Why don't we go to bed then? We have to wake up early, anyway." Jade declared, beginning to pull back the white sheets on the twin bed.

 _We._ Tori repeated in her head. "Okay." she said, moving against the wall so Jade could prepare their bed.

"Did you set an alarm?" Jade asked, fluffing out the two pillows.

"Uh, yeah. Is 6:45ish okay?" Tori responded, nervously picking at the skin around her fingernails.

"Mm hmm." Jade approved, sitting back on the bed. Tori watched as the girl began to lie back on the pillow, her shiny, raven locks sprawling across the fabric of the cusion.

"What do you want me to do with your flannel?" Tori asked, moving slightly away from the bed.

"You can wear it to bed if you're still cold. I don't mind. I get hot when I sleep." Jade answered, turning over on her side to watch Tori.

Tori grinned apprehensively, letting out a nervous chuckle. She slipped the flannel back over her shoulders, seating herself in the empty spot next to Jade. Neither one of them bothered to move under the blankets.

"Get the lights, Vega." Jade asserted, pushing her hair off her perspiring forehead.

Tori nodded, shutting the overhead light off, then joining Jade back in her spot. She lowered her head onto the pillow, not able to remove the expression of bafflement off of her face.

"Aren't you going to say goodnight?" Jade suddenly snapped.

"Yeah, I guess my head is somewhere else right now." Tori confided. "Goodnight."

Jade felt pitiful suddenly. "Hey, sorry," she apologized. "What's up? You can tell me. Unless you still think I'm a vicious witch out to destroy you socially..."

"No, no. It's nothing." Tori proclaimed.

Jade and Tori sat in silence for a few moments, listening deeply to the rapid rainfall on the rood of the motel.

"Come on." Jade tried.

"No, you really don't understand. I _can't_ tell you." Tori replied, staring hard at the dark ceiling. She felt her eyes begin to steam.

Jade pursed her lips, facing Tori rather than the wall. She began to rub Tori's back abruptly, startling Tori, as the feeling of Jade's fingertips tickling the skin of her back raised her own heartbeat. "Tell me." Jade attempted, continuing to softly stroke Tori's back.

Tori felt a sudden wave of anguish. If she even ever told Jade she was developing feelings for her and got rejected, things would never be the same. Jade definitely did not feel the same for her, especially considering they have been delicate enemies since Tori moved to Hollywood Arts. She remained silent. Instantly, she felt the hault of Jade's fingertips on Tori's back, and the rustling of sheets followed by footsteps. Tori watched as the once dark room became illuminated with bright light once again. She sniffled.

Jade sauntered towards Tori's side of the bed. To Jade's surprise, Tori's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wet with tears. "My God, Tori. What's wrong? Please. Your sadness isn't even bringing _me_ any joy." She sat at Tori's knees, staring into her bloodshot eyes.

"Jade...I...I can't." Tori repeated again.

Jade took a deep breath, leaning closer to Tori. "Please, Tori." she begged, unsure of what to do with the heartbroken girl laying before her. "I know, I know. I'm Jade. And you're Tori. And everyone knows us for our fighting and our rivalry. But I'm here. As someone you can..." Jade gulped. "Confide in." she admitted, shuttering.

Tori pulled herself up from the pillow, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Jade," she began. "We have been through so much together. Even when we've fought, I've always felt closer to you than anyone else. Closer than Andre. Closer than Cat. Closer than...closer than my own sister." she unraveled. "And that's why I can't tell you what's wrong. So please. Please go back to bed. I'll be fine in the morning." Tori pleaded.

Jade's heart skipped a beat. She felt a shiver of possible understanding. Did Tori... _like her_? _Oh, my God._ Jade thought. _Is Tori feeling the same way I was earlier today? Does Tori...have feelings for me?_

"Tori." Jade said straight out, steadily. She put a cold hand on Tori's warm face, moving closer to her. Jade was close enough to Tori that she could feel her body radiating heat onto Jade. "I think..." she tried. "I think, you..." she repeated, shakily. "I..." Jade sighed. "I really, really like you Tori. Like...It's not a like...it's like a...like- _like._ "

Tori's eyes widened as Jade hovered over her small body. "Jade..." she sighed. Tori leaned in, breaking the one inch clearance between them, pressing her soft lips against Jade's. Jade, startled by the sudden act of confidence by Tori, slowly melted into the kiss. Tori felt her muscles relax as she ran her fingers through Jade's loose hair. Jade gently moved Tori up against the backboard of the bed, tasting the spit of the brunette on her lips. Tori tasted like her mint flavoured toothpaste and cherry lipbalm. Jade ignored the wetness of Tori's cheeks smearing on her face. The kiss lasted a total of 30 seconds, when Tori quickly pulled away.

"Jade...I...what...are we doing?" Tori asked, scrambling around the bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Tori..." Jade said out, tenderly. "Why didn't you just say you liked me?"

"Rejection? Weirdness? Aren't we...like...frenemies? Or something?" Tori questioned, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Opposites attract." Jade convinced, smirking slightly.

Tori shook her head. "No, Jade, you don't want me. You want Beck."

"No, Tori. I'm done with Beck. I want you." Jade corrected.

 _I want you..._ Tori thought. _Jade wants me. Me. Not Beck. Not Andre. Not Robbie. Not anyone else. Me._

"How...how are we going to...do this?" Tori stammered, scratching the back of her neck.

"Let's worry about today." Jade answered, moving to turn the lights back off. "We should get to bed, Vega. Beck's coming at 8 tomorrow, remember?"

Tori nodded, and reluctantly moved back to her spot in the twin bed, this time pulling the covers over her body. Jade also snuck under the covers, feeling Tori's fluffy socks on her bare foot.

"Fluffy socks?" Jade laughed. "Are you five?"

Tori didn't know why, but she found herself laughing aloud at Jade's remark. She snuggled closer to Jade under the blankets, feeling Jade's bare legs against her own. She wrapped her arms around her, shutting her tear-stricken eyes. For once, Jade did not mind the touch of another person.

 **A/N: I really hope you liked the blossoming of Jori! I can't wait to put out the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I really wish I could update this story as fast as I intend, but, I am really having a difficult time doing so with the school work I have some nights. A lot of the courses I am taking are linguistic-based, so I am often doing homework in which involves reading and writing; as you can probably guess, I am exhausted after finishing it, and the last thing I want to do is write even more. I am so thankful for the follows, favourites, and reviews I am getting on the story. It constantly astonishes me to see people out there really like to read what I have to write. So, with that said, thank you so much, and remember, I always love to hear what you have to say about the story. Don't forget to rate and review! :-)**

Into the early hours of the morning, Tori awoke to Jade's light snoring. Although silent, Tori could not find the ability nor patience to fall back into a slumber over the vague noise. She opened one eye calmly, darting it to the digital clock on their bedside, reading the '5:39 AM' flicker in flourescent red numerals. Tori opened both eyes, realizing the dullness of sitting in bed aimlessly. She figured that the earlier she awoke, the more time she had in the bathroom before the alarm sounded for Jade.

She tried to remove herself from the stiff bed, but she soon realized Jade held a tight grasp around Tori's torso. _Oh, my God,_ Tori thought to herself, quickly. Exasperated over not wanting to awake Jade, she tried to wiggle from her hold on her hips, successfully making it out from the blankets, onto the floor. Tori, in the sombre darkness of the musty hotel room, watched with her teeth clenched as the raven-haired girl flopped onto her right side, facing away from Tori.

Tori scoffed, running a quick hand through her knotted locks. "What did I do last night..." she whispered to herself, her own thoughts trailing off into an unbeknowest spiral of uncanny scenarios. She shook her head, then rubbed her eyes, subsiding into the bathroom.

She switched on the bathroom light, the sudden illumination of the room burning her vision momentarily, then beginning to adjust. She examined her appearance in the mirror; her eyes were swollen from crying the prior night, and her cheeks were still flushed. Her chestnut waves were a disaster from sleeping overtop of her hair. She shrugged, turning to the shower. She turned the nob, watching the head of the shower spray out a mist of temperate water. She turned the dial to hot, moving back outside the bathroom to her suitcase. Eying Jade's seemingly-lifeless, snoring body, she silently pulled out a cream tanktop, yesterday's jeans, and her under garments, as well as her toiletries.

Tori re-entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her, filled with haste when it came to preparing herself for the day ahead. She usually did not find herself moving so slow in the morning, as many people, including herself, labeled her as a 'morning person'. Was this sudden change in personality a result from the withold of not wanting to start something she could not finish with Jade?

Tori suddenly felt guilty and self-conscious over her actions from the night before. She began to undress herself for the shower, only able to see an empty-minded image of herself in the mirror. She knew Jade liked it too-but why did she, herself, suddenly feel remorse?

Tori stepped into the shower, feeling the steaming water pulse on her tan skin. She tried to focus on enjoying a shower distracted by other things underlyling in her brain, but could only recall the events that took place the night before.

* * *

Jade awoke to the fast-paced water hitting the floor of the shower in the bathroom. She groggily yawned, turning to look at her Pear Phone, which read 5:58 AM. She opened a text message from Beck that he sent about 45 minutes prior, saying, _hey jade, im on my way.. let tori know when shes up, ill be there around 7..hopefully i can see my friend in Buttonwillow today so the trip wasnt a total waste hahaha lol._

Jade winced at Beck's grammatical errors. She sent back a passive-aggressive thumbs up emoticon to his message, tossing her cellular back on the table. She pulled herself out of bed, feeling a sudden twinge of pain in her back from the hardness of the mattress, which at one point during the night, she swore was as comfortable as sleeping on her kitchen table. Jade's heart excitedly skipped a beat when she remembered she was going to see The Scissoring that night, suddenly gaining all the energy she needed for the day. Jade switched on the room's overhead lights, going into her bag for her clothing. Unlike Tori, she pulled out a black tank top and black ripped jeans.

Jade flopped onto her stomach on the bed, remembering the events from the night before. Surprisingly, she did not find herself confused over their romantically inclined encounter in anyway. Jade felt total control over her feelings and emotions towards Tori; she was actually excited to take on the rest of the day with her, which was an emotion she rarely felt around Tori.

Jade opened and closed micellaneous apps on her Pear Phone for twenty-five minutes, until she heard the door handle of the bathroom twist open. Jade craned her neck, locking her phone, turning to Tori whom was fully dressed with dripping wet hair.

"Morning." Jade greeted, pulling herself up from the bed, ready to maneuver into the bathroom.

"Same to you." Tori responded, vaguely.

Jade raised an eyebrow as Tori sped past Jade onto the bed. She shrugged, entering the bathroom after Tori.

Tori collected her thoughts for a few moments, trying to think of a plan to take on the day. _Okay, Jade doesn't seem as reluctant towards me as I do towards her. Maybe, just maybe, Jade is actually interested in being my...girlfriend?_

Tori shivered at the thought of her and Jade being a couple. A _couple_. She could just see the look on everyones faces; they have always, no matter what, been enemies. Trina, Cat, Andre, Beck, and Robbie all know that the girls have been feuding since Tori arrived to Hollywood Arts a few years prior. Breaking the news of them being in a non-platonic relationship would arise so much unneccessary controversy between everyone. Especially Beck. But, did he _really_ care? After all, he was going on dates with a new girl every night of the week.

 _When Jade gets out of the shower, I have to tell her that I don't think of us as just friends anymore. I want to be more than friends after our...kiss. It meant so much to me, and I don't think I can go back to being friends without trying out this whole "relationship" thing._

Tori leaned back on her pillow, feeling the dampness of her hair absorb onto the sheet and on her skin. She ended up dozing off momentarily, or what felt like momentarily, and was soon after abruptly awoken by Jade shaking her arm.

"Hey, Vega, rise and shine!" Jade pestered, throwing a checkered flannel over her shoulder.

"Wh-" Tori tried, in a panic. "What? What time is it? When did I fall asleep?"

Jade shook her head. "How would I know, Tori? Can I read your mind? I was in the shower."

Tori looked warily at the time, reading 6:45 AM. She exhaled, moving herself up from the pillow, examining Jade. She looked enticing, suddenly, to Tori. She itched her nose, nodding. "You look really...nice." Tori complimented, weakly smiling.

"Thanks." Jade huffed, packing her things. "Are you getting ready to go? Beck is going to be here soon." she inquired, pulling the flannel off of her shoulder and onto her body.

"Uh...yeah." Tori replied, moving to her suitcase, packing up her items. "Jade, I need to ask you something." _Here it goes._ Tori thought, gulping.

"What now, Vega? The sun is barely up yet and I'm already annoyed with you." Jade spat out, zipping her bag shut.

 _Just Jade being Jade. Just Jade being Jade. Just Jade being Jade._ Tori repeated in her head, trying to calm down her racing heart.

"Well," she began, pulling loose clothes into her bag. "Last night...we did something I thought would never happen in literally a million years."

"Yeah?" Jade asked, seeming agitated. She crossed her arms.

"And I really, really need to know your input on where we should go from here." Tori finished.

Jade pursed her lips, taking a moment to think before giving Tori an answer.

"Well, I'm like, single..." Jade tried, meeting Tori's eyes. "And you're like, single, too." Jade explained, digging her nails into the material of her bag. "And it would be really, really nice if I could be in like, a relationship again..." Jade stated, her voice trailing off.

Tori's eyes lit up, as she zipped her bag shut. "Really?" she beamed, pulling her hair into a messy bun, fed up with the dampness of her hair on her back.

"Why would I lie about that?" Jade snapped, immediately.

Tori chuckled, biting her lip. "I really want to give this a try. At least, a _try_."

"Yeah, and so do I, Vega." Jade replied, flatly.

"Do you think it's weird that we're doing this? Do you think everyone else will think it's weird? I mean, we've been...enemies, or whatever, for how long now?" Tori explained, looking to Jade.

"Do I look like I really care? If whoever has a problem with us, they can deal with it." Jade responded, her light eyes twinkling.

"Okay." Tori grinned. "I guess...I guess we really _are_ going to do this."

"Don't make that face." Jade reprimanded, slightly.

Tori tried to stop, but she couldn't help it. They really _were_ going to give it a shot.

 **A/N: It was short, but I hope you liked it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry I have been away! I'm on winter break right now, so I finally got a chance to write leisurely. I hope you enjoy.**

Beck, exhausted from the early morning rise and two hour length drive, arrived successfully with Jade's identification. He knocked three times on the wooden door, tracing the peeled, custard-white paint spots with his finger. Beck scrunched up his nose at the sudden pungent stench of the musty hotel room when one of the girls twisted the handle of the door open.

"Tori," Beck smiled. "...Jade." He greeted. Tori smiled sheepishly, then looked to Jade who did not transition her porcelain embeded frown to a smirk.

"Your mom was wondering why I needed to get into your room so bad. I had to lie and say you took my pair of scissors." He reported, leaning against the frame of their motel room door. He assumed that would make Jade laugh, but she stood still, not cracking a smirk. Beck clenched his teeth. _Wow, I guess she really does hate me_ , he thought, crossing his arms. He looked at the two girls, who seemed closer than usual, suddenly. He brushed it off as the innate reaction any simple weekend of bonding ensured.

Tori and Jade had both their luggage in hand, examining Beck as he fingered the piece of plastic, then handed Jade her license. Jade gripped it harshly, pulling at it irradically from Beck's fingertips.

Tori looked to Jade, expecting her to thank the scruffy-appearanced teen. But she ignored him. "Thanks, Beck." Tori suddenly stated. "It means a lot to me that you went out of your way to help us." Tori exclaimed, looking to Jade, still expectant of her to say something. She slightly nudged her, a smile still remaining on her face, initiating Jade to roll her light eyes.

"Yeah," Jade muttered. "What Tori said." she spat out, her voice trailing off. Jade's eyes darted to the floor.

Beck raised his bushy eyebrows, looking awkwardly at Tori, then scratching the back of his neck. Neither of the girls said anything. "Well, uh, I'm gonna...go?" he remarked, tugging loosely at the collar of his shirt.

"Beck, you don't have to go," Tori said, instantly. She raised a hand, as if to explain something important. "Let Jade and I take you to breakfast or something. You came all this way for us." Tori insisted, when Jade's head whipped in her direction, giving her a vicious look. "Right, Jade? We don't have to be on the road for another hour."

Jade pursed her tight lips. "...right." she snided. Tori knew she was going to pay for this later.

Beck chuckled, anxiously. "No, really, it's fine. My friend lives up here, so I'm probably going to stay over at his place tonight and catch up on a few things." He explained, moving out from the door frame and into the hall of the motel.

"Oh, come on, Beck." Tori begged, feeling Jade's grasp tighten on her bony wrist as an indication not to go any further.

"Tori, I'm serious." Beck repeated, with a slight, convincing smile. The truth was, Beck knew how awkward it would be if he stayed any longer. He pulled his jean jacket he clutched tightly in his arms back over his shoulders, and started for the exit. Tori watched as his worn out, cherry Doc Martens clunked against the carpeted floor. He waved back at Tori and Jade. "Drive safe, guys. Make it back to Hollywood Arts without tearing each other apart."

Tori's stomach jumped at the last part of Beck's speech. She remembered that when they did get back to Hollywood on Sunday night, she would have to face telling her friends, including Beck, that her and Jade were more than 'friends'...or 'enemies'- _whatever; it's complicated_ , Tori thought.

"Oh. My. God." Jade finally sputtered, with a tight emphasis on 'God', as soon as she saw Beck turn around the corner, out of their vision. Tori and Jade moved into the hall with their luggage, closing the door behind them. "Don't ever do that to me again!" Jade roared, her voice getting high. "Do you know how awkward that breakfast would have been if he came?" Jade snapped, moving down the hallway, away from the small brunette.

"It would have been fine." Tori disputed. "I would have been there. It's not like you two would be alone." she tried, following after an aggrivated Jade.

Jade sharply sighed, biting her lip. They walked in silence until they made it to the front desk of the motel. Tori handed the new worker behind the desk her and Jade's room key.

"Enjoyed the stay?" The woman asked, looking up from Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_ she had resting on her lap.

"Um. Sure." Tori lied, glancing at the grimy windows. The sun had finally rose up, and the sky did not have a single cloud lining it.

"Thanks for staying with us." The woman responded duly, not really looking as if she cared whether they enjoyed their stay or not.

"Yeah. Whatever." Jade added, leading Tori out of the motel once and for all.

Tori and Jade made their way back to Jeff's Auto Repair in the balmy weather. Clearing everything up with her new piece of identification, Jeff was able to give Jade back her car, fully fixed, with her insurance thankfully covering everything.

Tori slipped into the passenger's seat, throwing her luggage into the backseat of the car, watching as Jade carefully started the engine.

"Where are we eating?" Tori asked, buckling her seatbelt. Jade stepped on the gas, moving out of the narrow parking lot of the repair shop. She pulled onto the main road, looking out the window.

"I don't care." Jade answered, flatly.

 _Ouch_ , Tori thought. _That hurt._ She cleared her throat, then opened her mouth to speak. "Okay..." She began, not sure of what to articulate. "How about Hal's Diner?" Tori insisted, pointing to a sign on the road to her left that indicated Hal's Diner was five miles down the road. "Or would you rather pick something up from a fast food restaurant and eat in the car?"

"I don't care." Jade repeated, once again, flatly.

Tori bit her bottom lip hard. "Jade, you can't possibly be holding a grudge over me for inviting Beck to breakfast. I was just trying to show some hospitality." Tori notioned, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand. She looked out the window at the deserted sidewalks and shanty stores that seemed to lack customers.

"I didn't say anything was wrong." Jade argued, tightening her grip on the faux-leather steering wheel. She kept her narrow eyes on the tar of the road.

"Jade." Tori repeated, looking to the girl once more.

Jade slowed down at a red light, then looked to Tori. "I'm not mad at you, Tori." Jade confirmed, meeting Tori's eyes.

Tori huffed. "So, what's wrong then? Why aren't you being...Jade? You're not even yelling at me or anything. I like the Jade who insults me over the Jade who doesn't say anything at all." Tori stammered, really unbeknowest as to why Jade was acting so strange.

Jade stepped on the gas again, as the light flicked to green. "I'm sorry." Jade professed, not saying anything for a solid moment. "It's just...it's just, seeing Beck again; it reminded me of a lot of the good times we used to have and stuff. I'm not saying I'm not happy to be with you from now on, but, when you invited him to breakfast it just put an awkward situation in my head." Jade stated, switching into the lane where she could turn into the breakfast joint.

Tori felt a lump in her throat. "Oh," she gulped, looking down at her shoes. She wasn't sure what she should say as they sat in silence for thirty seconds. "Jade, I won't be mad if you want to go back to Beck." Tori uttered. "This was...this was stupid of me to profess my feelings to you like this." she gushed, looking out the window at the people entering the diner.

Jade pulled into an empty space in the almost-full parking lot. She shut the car off, turning to Tori. Jade reached out for Tori's hands, pulling her lukewarm hands into her own icy ones. "Look at me, Vega." Jade demanded. Tori craned her neck to look at the gothic girl's welcoming, yet cold eyes.

"Don't ever put your pathetic self down like that again." Jade lectured, squeezing Tori's pale palms. "I am not going to go back to Beck," Jade began, removing her grasp from Tori's left hand and unbuckling her seatbelt. "I promise you that. We decided that we are going to give this- _us_ , a try," Jade gulped. "And this gross love-talk is really making me want to stab my eyes out with a spoon, but, I like you a lot, and I don't care what people are going to say. All I care about is that I like you." Jade concluded. Her pale lips formed a smile, initiating Tori's own, individual smile to formulate.

Tori was at a loss for words. She had never heard Jade speak so profoundly, not even to Beck in the years that the duo dated. Her and Jade were so enriched with their lives lead as enemies that Tori never truly listened to the deeper things Jade had to say. Tori smirked. "Aww, my God, Jade..." Tori marveled, chuckling. "You really do have a soul. The rumours are fake."

Jade playfully hit Tori on the arm, giggling at how naive she could be sometimes. "Hey. Don't ever tell me I have a soul. Got it?" Jade laughed, gripping the handle of the door on her car. "Let's eat, Vega. I'm excited for this vomit-inducing meal." Jade announced, pushing open the heavy door.

Before Jade fully exited the car, she felt a hand pull on her arm, reeling her back into the warmth of her vehicle. She fell gently back into the driver's seat, enticed, watching as Tori unbuckled herself, moving on top of Jade. Tori pulled Jade's ajar door closed, and adjusted her legs on Jade's lap so both girls were comfortable.

Jade's eyes widened as she saw Tori lean into her face. "Tori, what are you do-" she tried, but was cut off as Tori pressed her soft, sweet lips onto her own. She felt Tori's saliva line her mouth and her upper and lower lips moisten with Tori's spit that was enriched with an abundance of delicious tastes-candy, cinnamon, vanilla, and strawberries.

"Oh, my God, Vega." Jade, appalled, by Tori's sudden change attitude, gasped. Tori ran her fingers through Jade's soft curls, sending goosebumps down Jade's arched back. Jade closed her eyes and smiled, digging her fingers into the door of the car as she felt Tori bite her left ear repeatedly.

Tori giggled, pulling away from Jade, slightly. "Suddenly, I think I'm full."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you for one hundred follows on this story! Honestly, when I first uploaded, I didn't expect any rates or reviews, whatsoever. I wouldn't be writing without anyone to write for, so, thank you. Don't forget to let me know what you think. This chapter is kind of longer, as the last few were on the shorter side. Enjoy. :-)**

"Jade..." Tori groaned, glancing out the window stained with assorted 'monuments' from the elongated journey for the umpteenth time at the clear afternoon skyline. The overbearing heat of the sunlight burned on Tori's bare arms, regardless of being slumped in Jade's air conditioned car. She clutched her Pear Phone tightly in her grasp, finally deciding that the crack in the back of her cell phone had to have not been from dropping it in the toilet those _FEW_ times, but, actually from when Jade had tossed it into the cement garbage can residing in the Asphalt Cafe a few weeks prior to their excursion. They were fighting over a banana...or-was that the time before? _Who even knows anymore_ , Tori thought. "How many more times do we have to listen to this Joan Jenson CD? Why can't we listen to Katy Perry or something? Lady Gaga? Britney Spears?" Tori whined, bobbing her head back against the cushioned seat to rest her aching neck. Although not much physical exertion was being attained, Tori was aching all over.

Jade furrowed her thickly drawn eyebrows, giving Tori an ice-infused glare. The silver jewel of her eyebrow piercing strangely twinkled under the afternoon sun-glow, capturing Jade's pale features. "Her name is _Joan Jett_ , Vega. And I will _not_ be listening to Katy Perry anytime soon in this car." she corrected, drumming her ring-covered fingers against the steering wheel as she drove.

Tori widened her chocolate brown eyes, then grinned. "Oh, _sorry_ I got my extensive Joan Jett trivial skill wrong." she snided, knowing that would hit home with Jade. Whether it instigated a negative or positive argument, she really did not care. She just knew she was bored and would rather argue than sit duly, staring into the void of Jade's glove compartment.

Jade tightly pursed her nude-glossed lips, tilted her head, then turned the knob to lower the volume of _Cherry Bomb_. Jade smirked-not to be pleasant, but to indicate her annoyance with the girl. "Hi there, boys!" Jade exclaimed, cheekily. "My name's Tori Vega, and I just do _love_ listenin' to some good ol' Katy Perry while driving through the country!" Jade imitated in her best Southern-belle voice.

Tori whipped her neck to her left, examining Jade with a heavy eye. "I...don't...talk like that!" she defended, trying her hardest to sound serious but was unable to keep a straight face, and ended up laughing, leading Jade alongside her to giggle slightly, as well. _God, she's so hot._ Tori thought to herself, watching as Jade's features were etched out under the brightest angles of the sun. She couldn't wait any longer to get to their hotel room and snuggle up with her in bed. Even if Jade was being a little... _prissy_...today, she knew she would just melt in her arms.

"Whatever," Jade responded swiftly, looking out onto the long road before them. The girls were nearing their desired destination as the time on Jade's car radio struck twelve o'clock in the afternoon precisely. They had been driving for a few hours, only stopping for quick bathroom breaks along the way. Both girls were growing hungry again, yet they agreed to eat lunch when they arrived in San Francisco.

"Are we almost there or _what_?" Tori murmured, breaking her train of thought, and checking the time on her cell phone to see not even a single minute had passed since she watched the clock on Jade's car radio change from 11:59 to 12:00.

Jade huffed, growing tired of Tori's persistence of exiting the car, and looked to the impatient brunette. "I don't know, Tori, why don't _you_ check the directions on _your_ phone since I'm the one who's driving!" she hissed, making her best impression of sounding right. It seemed to work, as it silenced Tori.

Tori curled her upper lip silently, then unlocked her cell phone to open up the Pear Phone Maps application. She scrolled through a few pages, taking her time to acquire an accurate location and information. "According to this, we are exactly..." Tori's voice trailed off as she tapped the pads of her thumbs against the glass screen of the pear-shaped device. "Well, we turned back there, and we've been driving here for a bit, and-"

"Just read the freaking number!" Jade exclaimed, turning the knob down on the radio playing quietly, all the way down. Tori felt as if the entire car shook with the depths of her roar.

She blinked. "Eighty-seven." she, annoyed, confirmed, looking to the ground in a quick motion.

"Oh, my God. How hard was that?" Jade jeered.

Tori rolled her eyes, fixating her vision on the road ahead. "Yeah, whatever."

Jade bit her lower lip, thinking deeply for a moment. Her brain lit up with a spark, as if she found the perfect way to occupy Tori. "If you're so bored, Vega, why don't you do something fun?" Jade asked, smiling deviously.

Tori squinted, then raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? And what would that be?" she inquired.

Jade's devilish smirk did not leave her face, as she pulled the car into the passing lane. "Let's mess with Beck's little head."

Tori could not help but feel confusion. The usual, when it came to Jade's ploys. Whether they are destructive, or not, Tori was always left hanging one way or another. She fingered the fabric of her shirt, then spoke up. "What do you mean 'mess with Beck's head'?"

Jade moved her tongue to her left cheek, pushing it against the wall of her mouth. "Let's send him a picture of us kissing." Jade insisted, speeding the car ahead of one cruising the road slowly before hers.

Tori's heart skipped a beat. "Oh..." she groaned. "Come on, Jade. Beck's little boy head can't handle that twisted mind game right now. Especially after his failed date with the North Ridge girls on Friday. Give his manly-ego a rest for now."

"What, are you scared or something, Vega? He was _my_ ex. I should be the one who's scared." Jade ridiculed.

Tori ran her tongue over her teeth, unable to formulate an intelligent answer to Jade's accusation. "I don't know, Jade..." she said, weary with hesitation.

"You're afraid." Jade spat out. "You're afraid of Beck knowing you like me." she needled, tucking a loose violet-coloured curl behind her ear saturated in shimmering black jewellery.

"I am not!" Tori defended. For some reason, she felt as if she was in this exact position before with Jade. _Many_ times before.

"You're gonna have to tell... _those people_...we're together eventually. Why not start with the weakest link?" Jade countered, shuttering at the mention of the others.

" _Those people_ are our friends!" Tori exclaimed, shaking her head. "Why can't we just wait until school on Monday? Tell them at the Asphalt Cafe at lunch? Or at Nozu that night? Something normal and fun to lighten the mood of how...weird...this may be to them."

Jade exhaled sharply out of her nostrils. "Beck is my _ex_ -boyfriend, I barely tolerate Andre, don't even ask me about Robbie, and Cat is basically a pet. That's it." she clarified. Tori had heard it many times before, but a chance for Jade to express her annoyance for everyone and everything always just brightened Jade's mood.

"Okay, maybe not to you, but they're still my friends! I'd rather tell them when we're both ready." Tori appealed.

Jade pressed down on the 'eject' button of the CD player on her car radio, pulling the CD out, placing it in the cup holder momentarily. "Alright, maybe you're not afraid of Beck finding out," Jade began, clearing her throat. "Maybe you're just afraid to take a picture of us kissing. Afraid your _parents_ will see?" Jade continued, putting emphasis into messing with Tori's head. _Anything to make the car ride more enjoyable_ , she thought. She ruthlessly continued to jab at Tori until she was willing to give in.

"Oh, my God, I am not!" Tori defended, once again.

"So send Beck a picture of us kissing!" Jade retorted.

"No!" Tori yelled.

"Well, why not?!" Jade rebutted.

Tori buried her face in her hands, running her fingers through her hair. "This is ridiculous!" she chuckled, hysterically. "Why are you being like this?!"

"Hi, Tori. I'm Jade. Nice to meet you." Jade responded, sarcastically. "Why do you think I'm being like this?"

"Because you're Jade. You're psychotic. You're mentally unstable." Tori replied, watching as Jade dropped her jaw in response to Tori's speech. "I still don't know how I fell for you." she added.

"Am not." Jade said.

"Are too." Tori argued.

"Am not." Jade repeated.

"Are too!" Tori repeated, louder.

"Am not!" Jade repeated, louder than Tori's. This repetitive pattern continued for a few seconds, faster each time.

"Are too!" Jade counter-stated.

"Are no-" Tori said, then caught herself. "Darn it!" she yelped.

"Okay, it's confirmed. I'm not psychotic. Now take a picture of us kissing and send it to Beck." Jade repeated, quickly.

"No!" Tori affirmed, once again.

"Fine." Jade responded, all at once. Tori inhaled a breath of tension-filled air, glancing out the window. She checked the time on her phone once again, seeing ten minutes had passed since she last checked.

"Then just take a picture of us. Kissing. For our own pleasure." Jade challenged, once more.

Tori shut her eyes, then balled her hand up into a fist. She knew Jade was never going to give up. "Okay," she said, giving in calmly. "You know what? Fine. Fine. FINE. Pull over. I'll take the stupid picture of us kissing. But, I'm not sending it to Beck."

"Perfect." Jade affirmed, already pulling the car onto the side of the road. She put her heavy boot on the break, pulling the gear into 'park', turning to Tori, readying herself for the photo.

"I don't understand why we couldn't have done this later." Tori grumbled, pulling out her Pear Phone before them.

"Just snap the pic, Vega." Jade retaliated, fluffing her curls out. She flattened out the dark fabric around her torso, and adjusted the choker hugging her neck.

Tori gulped, then leaned into Jade's lips, pulling up the camera application on her cell phone. The kiss felt warm, yet vast. She quickly caught an image of the girls' lips compressed against the opposite's. If anyone were to see the image, it was extremely intelligible that it was more than just 'friendly'. Tori pulled the photo back up for her and Jade to view, and Jade nodded her head in affirmation.

"That's hot. And I'm not even repulsed by how bad you make the picture look." Jade teased, flinching when she knew Tori was going to playfully hit her.

Tori did hit her in response on the fore of her arm, this time, not as playful as the last. "Yeah, just drive the car." Tori ordered, looking at the ordeal of other images from their road trip so far.

Jade shrugged, starting the ignition of the vehicle back up. She pulled the car back into the flow of traffic down the tar of the road.

"Maybe I should post a few pictures from our trip so far on The Slap. I think that would be fun." Tori suggested, keeping a steady eye on the images she photographed so far. She swiped past a picture of Jade holding up a middle finger to the camera whilst driving through the heavy rain the prior day, an actual _flattering_ image of Jade eating her breakfast that morning, and a few other assortments of images of her and Jade that Tori thought were cute.

"Oh, yeah, and let me just pour this hot coffee in my eyes while you're at it." Jade mentioned, sharply.

Tori furrowed her eyebrows, incapable of comprehending Jade's logic. "So, you'll force me to post a picture of us kissing, but not any of these fun, cutesy pictures we took so far?" Tori asked, dismayed at Jade's peculiarity.

"That's about right," Jade countered. "Unless you want me to vomit all over this car."

Tori rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm just posting a few." she announced.

"Good for you, want a trophy while you're at it?" Jade jeered.

Tori paused, looking to Jade. "Just drive." she grumbled, cattily.

Tori was half-way complete with uploading the three of six images she wanted to share on The Slap, when Jade suddenly slammed her boot down on the breaks of the car. Tori and Jade's bodies flung up against the cushioning of their car seats, generating the reaction of Tori's phone to slip out from her hand and land face down onto the floor.

"What was that?!" Tori yelped, holding a hand over her racing heart. She blew a chunk of hair out of her eye.

"A stupid squirrel ran in front of the car." Jade replied, sighing shakily.

"So you nearly killed us to save a dumb squirrel?" Tori questioned, her voice shaking.

"Why make animals suffer when I already make humans suffer? I just don't see a point?" Jade asked, rhetorically. She smirked, raising an eyebrow, watching as the black squirrel galloped along the tar of the road to the opposite side, climbing up a tree. "You wouldn't have died." Jade insisted, giving Tori her best smile.

"Just drive." Tori repeated, for the third time. Jade shrugged, stepping on the gas once again. Tori wiped a growing colony of noticeable perspiration formulating on the peak of her forehead before she bent over to pick up her Pear Phone from the floor of the car. She stretched her arm out, feeling the rubber of the weather-proof mat on her finger tips, pulling her phone up from the ground. Tori licked her lips, trying to remember what she was doing before Jade's squirrel dilemma occurred. She unlocked her Pear Phone, once again, and noticed The Slap was opened to her feed, rather than the photo sharing function. _That's weird_ , Tori thought. _I could have sworn, before my phone flew out of my hand, I was about to share a picture of Jade and I at the diner last night..._ Still confused, she swiped to a screen indicating how many posts she has made over the few years she'd been signed up on The Slap, when she saw the picture of her and Jade kissing under "Recent Shares" uploaded seconds prior. Recently shared. To the entirety of Hollywood Arts, and the rest of the world. On her public social media profile.

"Oh, my God!" Tori screamed, dropping her phone in her lap.

"Scream again, Vega, and you're walking the rest of the way to San Francisco!" Jade hissed.

"Jade, this isn't funny! I _actually_ just did something awful!" Tori yelled, once again.

Jade threw her head back, placing an annoyed hand on her forehead. "Now what did you screw up?! God, it never ends with you!"

"I accidentally freaking posted the picture on The Slap of us! My finger must have slipped or something when you slammed on the breaks and I must have accidentally selected the wrong picture when it dropped out of my hand!" Tori exclaimed, unable to think straight.

"Of us kissing?" Jade asked, a little calmer than before.

"No, Jade, of us playing a leisurely game of golf. Of course the one of us kissing!" Tori yelled in response.

"Well, delete it then!" Jade roared right back.

"Already six people liked it!" Tori continued, helplessly.

"Tori, if you don't pull up the photo and tell me who liked it or commented or WHATEVER now, I will _LITERALLY_ make you walk the rest of the way." Jade threatened, frowning. This was no longer fun to her. Tori managed to make everything a hassle.

"Fine." Tori agreed, her voice shaky. Tori retraced her steps back to the photo, analysing the buzz it so far created. "Nine likes now," Tori said, gulping. "Liked by Sinjin Van Cleef, Andre Harris, Cat Valentine, Trina Vega, Tara Ganz, Hope Quincy, Rex Powers, Robbie Shapiro, and..." Tori's voice trailed off, before she continued to speak.

"And? And who? Do you have a problem with your brain?" Jade questioned. "Just say it!"

Tori swallowed hard before continuing. "And Beck Oliver."

The outer corners of Jade's pale lips turned upwards into a smirk at the mention of Beck's name, when she let out a deep chuckle. "Vega, sometimes I just can't believe how stupid you are. How do you completely counter-act yourself like that?"

Tori looked up at the roof of the car steadily, rolled down the window, picked up Jade's coffee, waved it in her face, then dropped it out of the moving car. "Haha, very funny, Jade! Bye, bye, coffee!"

"You did _NOT_ just do that!" Jade shook her head, unsure of what to do with Tori's newly-found rebellion. "We are stopping at the nearest Jet Brew because I am not going to survive the rest of this car ride, especially with you, without coffee!" Jade screamed. She took one hand off of the steering wheel, and pulled on Tori's ear, reeling her close to her own head, keeping one eye on the road.

"No." Tori answered, firmly. Jade pursed her lips, then released her grip on Tori, letting her sit back up in her seat.

"Oh, Tori, innocent, prissy, little Tori. If I didn't want to make out with you so bad right now, you would literally be walking this highway to San Francisco." Jade grunted.

"Yeah, um, bigger problems right now!" Tori asserted, flattening down her hair, showing her the picture of the two of them locking lips on the social media platform a second time. "What am I supposed to do? You know that Beck saw the picture!"

"So, delete it. Say it was a joke or something! I don't know, do I look like people come to me for advice often?" Jade declared. She absored the information from a bright green sign indicating San Francisco was now seventy miles away. "I'm not letting your problems ruin my meeting with the cast of The Scissoring tonight."

Tori gasped, as she scrolled through her notifications. "Twenty people have now liked the picture! I can't just delete i-" Jade grasped the phone from Tori's sweaty palms, then deleted the image from her profile. She then whipped her phone into the rear seats of the car so Tori could not reach out for it and cause any more problems.

"It's deleted now." Jade announced, placing both hands back on the wheel.

"I can see that." Tori responded, crossing her arms.

Although Tori and Jade tried to sit in silence for a few moments, they were unsuccessful when Tori's phone chimed multiple times, indicating text messages were being delivered to Tori's phone. Jade slowly turned her head to face the Latina, then shot her an infamous ice-infused look, indicating her not to touch it. Tori did not pick up the clear signal Jade had produced, and unbuckled her seatbelt, diving into the backseat of the car, picking up her phone before Jade could stop her.

"Wow, you really want to walk to San Francisco tonight, don't you?!" Jade implored, watching Tori from the rear-view mirror.

"No, actually, I just wanted to tell you that not only Beck has flooded our group chat with confused text messages, but Cat, Robbie, and Andre, too." Tori announced, meeting Jade's light eyes in the mirror. Tori cleared her throat, preparing to read a few of the messages.

"' _Hey, guys! What's up with that weird pic of you on The Slap? I thought you were sworn enemies, now you're kissing? My brother isn't even that weird and he snacks on my mom's houseplants!_ '" Tori read aloud, watching as Jade's pupils grew wider. "Sent by Cat. One minute ago."

"' _Yeah, Little Red, I saw it, too. Who knew Tori was interested in girls? Jade, on the other hand...'ScissorLuv' as a video-chat username kind of gave that one away...'_ "Tori continued. "Sent by Andre. Fourty-five seconds ago."

"I'm. Going. To. Kill. Him." Jade muttered, feeling a slight headache forming within her right temple.

Tori scratched her eyebrow before she read the final, and most recent message. "' _Are you guys dating or something?'"_ She finally read, locking her phone, and dropping it slightly in her lap. "Sent by Beck. Thirty seconds ago."

Neither girl said a word until Tori eventually spoke up. "So much for revealing us discretely."


End file.
